OTC: Chiefs’ PR Trying To Prop Up A Sagging Eric Fisher At LT / Is Ned MOTY Or Is Sept. His Waterloo?

“Eric Fisher has not looked good in camp and he has not looked good in games.”Steven St. John, 810 AMGH: There is not a more scrutinized player on the Chiefs roster than their 2013 first overall draft choice out of the MAC. He has not passed the eye test and he looks to be heading to where he might not pass the smell test as well. These are the kind of picks that can haunt a franchise’s reputation for decades. The Chiefs need Eric Fisher to snap out of it or go on the IR and get his shoulder healed sufficiently for NFL play.

“(Eric Fisher) had his best day today (Wednesday). It should be noted that they did not wear pads today and they was no hitting.”TJ Carpenter, on the Chiefs much-maligned second-year left tackle, 810 AM

“I would hate to see this (Chiefs) organization make the same mistake that other organizations in this town have made and play young players who are not ready. Fisher should not play in two weeks if he’s not ready to play.”TJ Carpenter, 810 AM

“I believe that Andy Reid will do the right thing. He will not play Eric Fisher at left tackle if he is not playing well.”Kevin Kietzman, 810 AMGH: Eric Fisher is starting at left tackle week one if he can stand up. We are already hearing the coach speak from the Chiefs that Eric is playing “great.” Andy Reid and John Dorsey are not so different from the rest of their NFL counterparts that they will “do the right thing.” The NFL is about doing the thing that makes you look right about the poor decisions you made.

“Right now, Denver has a team built just like the New England Patriots back when they went undefeated (in the 2007 regular season). I think it’s going to be a Denver-Seattle rematch in the Super Bowl. And I would go with Denver this time. Giving Peyton two shots at it, to go against the same team, I’ll take Peyton. If they can stay healthy, how do you beat this team? They’re balanced on both sides of the ball. They can run, they can pass, they can stop the run and they can stop the pass now on a consistent basis. It’s going to be very, very tough to beat them.”Tony Gonzalez, the newest NFL analyst for CBS, newsday.comGH: Nothing here is all that controversial but I am seeing headlines all over the place announcing that Gonzo is predicting the Broncos to go undefeated. Hell, they almost did that last season. When Tony predicts the Lions are going undefeated, then I’ll listen.

“The temptation would be there, but I don’t know what the gain would be. I’ve always wanted a ring. That’s been my main goal as a player over the last 15 years of my career. You’re really trying to get that ultimate goal. But I’d be a mercenary to come in and get a Super Bowl ring, play with a team for, what, six, seven weeks? And even if I got the ring, it wouldn’t be the same as going through the fight with the team from the beginning to the end. I don’t think that will happen. The temptation will be there, but I’m 100 percent happy with my decision.”Tony Gonzalez, on whether or not he would consider coming out of retirement to play for a title contender this season, newsday.comGH: Tony doesn’t sound 100% to me. It would be kind of cool to see him catch the winning TD pass from Alex Smith in the Super Bowl, wouldn’t it?

“Tony Gonzalez has made his first ignorant comment since joining the media.”Bob Fescoe, @bobfescoe, TwitterGH: It’s kind of a birthright as a member of the media to make ignorant comments. BTW, I still like Butler in right field…

“After 28 years of almost unrelenting misery, I think we’re due this.”Rany Jazayerli, on the second-half success of the Royals as they lead the ALC by a game over the Tigers, 810 AM

“For all the crap we give Ned Yost, the team is on a second-half stretch for the second year in a row like they haven’t had in a long time.”Rany Jazayerli, 810 AMGH: If the Royals win the ALC, Ned Yost is the American League MOTY – going away. I am not a fan of Yost’s but you have to give the man his due if he can do it. But September is what did him in up in Milwaukee. I still think we have a lot of drama to get through to see October in this town.

“I think it’s the most asked question when I go around town, ‘What should Hosmer do when he comes back?’ And my answer is simple – sit the bench. Why bring Hosmer back? Since Hosmer’s been out, the Kansas City Royals are playing their best baseball of the season.”Bob Fescoe, 810 AMGH: Hosmer is the best option at first base for the Royals and there should be no debate. The question is can Butler sit and still hit? If he can’t, the Royals’ postseason chances diminish greatly.

“It is the umpire’s task to move the game along! If this is moving the game along, I am missing something! … Let there be a roll of drums and a blare of bugles. HE HAS THROWN A PITCH!”Denny Matthews, during the sixth inning of Wednesday night’s game at Coors Field where the Rockies starter, Jorge De La Rosa, took an achingly long time between pitches, Royals RadioGH: Steve Physioc referred to De La Rosa as, “The Human Rain Delay on the Mound,” during the early innings. By the sixth, Matthews was so ticked at the pitchers slow play that he was ready to jump out of the booth and beat Jorge with his hockey stick. MLB needs to address the pace of play in areas like this where they can speed up play. If the sport wants to know why their audience continues to age with little reinforcements from younger demographics, it is in the pace of play. Even old guys like Denny and I can’t handle watching a pitcher scratch himself after every pitch.

“I want to warn you… I don’t mean to come to Rome and not do what the Romans do but I’ve never liked barbeque. Sorry about that.”Buster Olney, ESPN MLB analyst, as he discussed setting up a meet-and-greet with The Border Patrol when he is in town this weekend for the Royals first appearance on Sunday Night Baseball in almost a decade, 810 AM GH: Get a rope.

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About Greg Hall

Software guy who has been writing my Off The Couch column in KC newspapers, publications and websites since 1994. Has been bounced from some of the finest media establishments this side of State Line Road. Dad first and everything else second...and there are a lot of everything elses.

38 Responses to OTC: Chiefs’ PR Trying To Prop Up A Sagging Eric Fisher At LT / Is Ned MOTY Or Is Sept. His Waterloo?

NFL and college football games have gotten much longer (college games are waaaay to long), yet I don’t hear many people complaining about their pace of play. I’d much rather watch a quick game, but I don’t think pace of play has much to do with baseball’s lack of popularity.

Agreed – the average college football games sometimes approach 3.5 – 4 hrs long, with a stoppage of the clock after almost every play, but that doesn’t seem to hurt football’s popularity – although it does drive me crazy when there are 2 minutes of TV commercials, followed by a minute of game play, followed by 2 more minutes of TV commercials.

I have heard that many of the younger demographic that would normally have been Royals fans have switched over to soccer and Sporting KC. I think some of that is true, although many people are fans of and follow both teams. And it doesn’t hurt that the average soccer game is done in under 2 hrs.

Hopefully the Royals will be providing some local sports entertainment until college football/basketball gets rolling. I don’t see how this Chiefs team is going to be real competitive this year. A bad offensive line, weak receiving, weak secondary…if Jamaal goes down this could get really ugly, really quick.

The team has had two winning seasons since the strike. Two. No playoffs since 1985. If you’ve read Rob and Rany on the Royals you would know that Rany was always the optimistic one. The Royals ineptitude is the issue you should have here.

No, I read Rob & Rany on the Royals — somehow, they’ve decided to delete those conversations…because they were wrong *so* much. I know Rany played the positive one in those things, but then he developed this thing where he’s never wrong and somehow knows the key to winning baseball. How does he know it? He has online friends who create numbers that tell him what is good. He really shows poor understanding of the game itself — but he’s emphatic about certain statistics that he has deemed important instead..

And, while Greg can’t quit him, just remember that if Rany ran the team, the rotation would be:

#1. Edwin Jackson (ERA+ of 78 and 64 the last two seasons, signed for $11M per season through 2016)
#2. Dan Haren (ERA+ of 81 and 78 the last two seasons, signed for $10M with a vesting option of $10M next season).
#3. Bruce Chen
#4. Danny Duffy
#5. Aaron Brooks(?)

There’s no Yordano Ventura, because he wanted to trade him for two years of Howie Kendrick. There’s also no Wade Davis in the bullpen, and Kelvin Herrera would be the closer, because he also wanted to trade Greg Holland.

I don’t think the Royals are in 1st place at this point in the season with an obnoxious payroll and a rotation like that..

“Hosmer is the best option at first base for the Royals and there should be no debate. The question is can Butler sit and still hit? If he can’t, the Royals’ postseason chances diminish greatly.”

Isn’t that kind of the point? It’s probably not mere coincidence that the Royals have gotten so hot at the same time Butler started to rake. So if you DH him to get Hosmer in at first, isn’t the risk that he stops raking and it diminishes the Royals’ postseason chances? I know that he’s a professional and he’s paid to produce wherever he’s played, but we all know that isn’t how it always works. But you know one thing that is currently working? Butler at first.

G, The key word you use here is “currently.” Maybe Butler is a better option at first than Hosmer but I am not at all willing to gamble the Royals’ slim postseason chances on a three-week sample size. Hosmer needs to play first as soon as he can — tomorrow would not be too soon.

Phaedrus, I’d say comparing MLB to NFL/College is WAY apples and oranges. Football is played on weekends and is only once a week. People plan their weekends around their college and/or pro game, and often eat/drink and be merry during football game day. It’s hard to watch a 3.5 hour baseball game every day.

Football’s issue isn’t the length of a game start to finish, but the growing number of commercials and commercial breaks. It’s beyond ridiculous.

Chiefs have weaknesses like all NFL teams. Yeah, our secondary and O-line look like trouble, but how many teams wish they had Jamaal, our special teams or our D-line/Linebackers?

Here is my thinking on Butler in the OF. He is a 28-year-old athlete who the Royals have allowed to become a sloppy DH. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t get his bod in shape and play RF adequately for the next five years. Would he be Cain out there? No. But if he could play goalie in right and hit like he used to, I could live with that lineup.

Greg, you’re a runner. You should know by looking at Butler run that “getting in shape” ain’t going to make him much faster. Dude runs like he has cement blocks on his feet. He may be an athlete, but he’s not athletic.

if luke joeckel stays healthy and has a good season, dorsey is going to look like a fool for picking fisher.

not to be a wet blanket, but is anyone else suspicious of espn’s playoff odds showing the royals at 71.4%? we have a 1.5 game division lead and 2 game wildcard lead with 45 to play. oh and we are the kansas city royals. i take comfort in hearing denny say “it’s pretty clear we’re going to make the playoffs one way or another,” but this is crazy talk.

Memo to Matthews & Physioc et al:patience is a virtue… get some, or find a different occupation. Can still see Mike Hargrove play in the 1970’s – he was nicknamed ‘The Human Rain Delay’ as a result his strenuous routine after each pitch. Probably also served to get in the head of pitchers, using it as an opportunity to mess with their rhythm.

If MLB has a complaints department, Kerouac would protest the modern players & their preening, showboating to include bat flips, stops to stare at home runs, chest thumps, sky points, fingers to the lips/kiss the sky, and repeat, ad nauseam. Too many ‘hey look at me everybody’ types in the realm a ‘team’ sports; too many ‘In’dividuals.

Ditto the NFL/NBA, the former at least cracks down on their prima donna players, some. It may be a form of (highly compen$ated) entertainment, but it shouldn’t be the circus or the zoo – just play ball. Like Lombardi said, ‘act like you’ve been there before’ end zone (note the NFL will now penalize for a player performing former Chiefs Gonzalez’s ‘signature showboat move’ the dunk over the cross bar – good.)

As for Fisher being under scrutiny, can think of several Chiefs/other teams players that became Chiefs whose careers started out looking not so good… curley Culp, Neil Smith, John Alt, even the aforementioned Gonzalez started out more of a whimper than with a roar… give Fisher some time.

Kerouac… with our line, we don’t have time for a #1 pick. he should be there now, or at least have shown vast improvement. when people say ‘he didn’t look good in camp’ okay, I understand he’s switched positions. but after camp and into the pre-season, he should be farther along for a #1 pick.

All the Chiefs have is time – what’s one more unsatisfying year? It’s not as if they’re going anywhere – again – in 2014, it’s nigh on 45 now since they were last relevant, their only Championship back 1970. Team KC’s problems go well beyond Fisher or any single player’s success/lack.

Poe looked less than scintillating his first year, his second went much better. #1 ’66 pick Aaron Brown couldn’t beat out a free agent named Chuck Hurston at DE, then Brown missed all of 1967 with a leg injury sustained after being tried at (gulp) fullback. By ’68 he settled in at DE and had a great couple of seasons… he was worth the wait.

If Fisher hasn’t looked as good as expected he’s not alone. Even were he Pro Bowl level, the other 4/5 o- line has problems all their own, # 2 pick Hudson & # 2 pick Allen as well # 3 pick Stephenson not among the better players NFL, any them. 2014 season will tell the tale Fisher; injuries aside he should improve, if not draft whiff might be accurate.

The Chiefs draft history is littered with # 1 whiffs.That Dorsey & Reid drafted Fisher # 1 & didn’t trade down makes them indistinguishable from Pioli/Haley who did the same with Ty ‘Inaction’ Jackson # 3, the defensive line didn’t have time either but as he was their best (only?) option, gave him time. Aft a few years, Jackson managed to go from BUST to mediocre… progress, KC style, measured in patience if not Championships.

– aye, that’s the rub… ‘should be’; most aren’t. The last 15 years 2003-2013 ~ years played & next to said pro bowls. Said works out to just 20 pro bowls in 98 cumulative seasons or 1 pro bowl every 5 years played, on average. Pro Bowls are not purely merit-based (KC’s Berry qualifies as an unmerited example, my opine, reason why a guy who can neither cover well nor tackle consistently manages sneak in to the pro bowl.)

Upshot: the majority these 15 #1 overall picks arguably or definitively contain several busts and few legit ‘best of’s, their positions.

Of those, OT Long was once the best or equal to said; but only once has he been a consensus All Pro, i.e. one of the two best at his position, and that didn’t happen until his 3rd season. OT Orlando Pace, even better & the #1 overall pick 1997, didn’t merit a pro bowl nomination until his 3rd season.

QB Manning and DE Williams might have been among the best briefly, but have not been any consistent basis, arguably. Too, Fisher is only the 4th OT selected # 1 overall history of the NFL Draft, since 1936.

As well, a check of all 2013’s #1 picks ( see link below) finds none of them are the best or even 2nd/3rd best the NFL, now in their second seasons.

It would be great if MLB adopted a version of what golf has. When a pitcher or hitter falls behind or starts to delay, they get a warning, “You’re on the clock.”. They when they delay further, add balls or strikes to the count. I haven’t thought this out all the way, but something along those lines might be a start.

Not really. In the case of the batter, the umpire is not obligated to call time and the penalty is that the pitch gets called what it is.
For the pitcher, it just is not enforced…maybe a “pitch clock” behind the plate? And a countdown clock for between innings? If the pitcher isn’t ready yet, they don’t get to warm up. Umpires really need to be given authority to speed things up.

Baseball is a boring sport to play, Kids today rather play football, basketball, golf, soccer, hockey and now you even can add more kids are playign lacrosse ,. My son plays most sports and he and all his friends rather play other sports than baseball. Get a group of kids together and they will play about anything but baseball. This is why you see so many foreign players in the MLB.
The future of baseball does not look good.

I know, those four player football games…or golf without a course…or running a hundred-thousand yards with four guys to play soccer…hockey without ice…lacrosse–soccer with specialized equipment. Those are what you can play with four guys on a summer afternoon in the neighborhood..

If the Royals truly analyzed the market and decided defense and speed were undervalued then decided to go in that direction then Butler has to be gone. Why overpay for power and no defense?

But Ned and his “get him his win, save etc.”, intentional walks, early inning bunts and Moose “leading the team in RBI” so not sending him down makes me think they didn’t do that and are still married to dumb old stats like ERA and wins.

Maybe they just got lucky with Cain, Gordon and Dyson and will continue to keep Butler on the payroll because of his RBIs.